South Africa: HIS Indicators

South Africa

As of August 2019, we had 27 of the 30 indicators for South Africa. Please see the table below for more details on each indicator.

Indicators

National health strategy

Health sector M&E plan

HIS policy**

HIS strategic plan

Country has set of core health indicators

National HIS coordinating body †††

Conducted HMN assessment

Population census within the last 10 years

Availability of national health surveys

Completeness of vital registration (births and deaths)

Country has electronic system for aggregating routine facility and/or community service data

Country has national statistics office

National health statistics report (annual)**

Country has website for health statistics with latest data available

DQA conducted on prioritized indicators aligned with most recent health sector strategy

PRISM assessment conducted in any regions/districts

 

Percentage of facilities represented in HMIS information

Measles coverage reported to WHO/UNICEF

Number of institutional deliveries available by district, and published within 12 months of preceding year**

Availability of standards/guidelines for RHIS data collection, reporting, and analysis

Existence of policies, laws, and regulations mandating public and private health facilities/ providers to report indicators determined by the national HIS

Presence of procedures to verify the quality of data (accuracy, completeness, timeliness) reported

RHIS data collection forms allow for disaggregation by gender

National database with health workers by district and main cadres updated within last 2 years ††

Annual data on availability of tracer medicines and commodities in public and private health facilities

e-health strategy

 

Completeness of disease surveillance reporting †

**          Outdated
†            Available but percentage unknown
††          Available, but last update unknown
†††        Available, but activity unknown

The table below presents more information on each indicator. Indicator definitions can be found here: http://www.measureevaluation.org/his-strengthening-resource-center/health-information-systems-his-country-profile-indicators.

Please check back in this Resource Center as we continue to expand the indicators of HIS strengthening, or click here to provide comments and suggestions.

Indicators

Status

Source

Title/Notes

1. National health strategy

Current (2015–2020)

http://bit.ly/2eBiXqk

Strategic Plan 2015–2020

2. Health sector M&E plan

Current (2017-2019), but not online

In-country contact

M&E framework in place – national indicator data set reviewed and implemented April 2017. Aligned to the National health strategy, and the Medium Term Strategic Framework which leads to achieving objectives of National Development Plan 2030.

The plan is reviewed and updated every two years to improve M&E.

3. HIS policy

Not current (2011)

In-country contact

District Health Management Information Systems (DHMIS) Policy

4. HIS strategic plan

Available but not online

In-country contact

 

5. Country has set of core health indicators

Yes (2015–2020)

http://bit.ly/2eBiXqk

Indicators can be found inside the current national health strategy. Indicators are separated for each health program:

  • Maternal and child health indicators (page 19)
  • HIV indicators (pages 37–38)
  • Primary health care services indicators (pages 42–44)
  • Hospital, tertiary services, workforce indicators (pages 47–48)
  • Health regulations and compliance management indicators (pages 51)

6. National HIS coordinating body

Established, activity unknown

In-country contact

The National Health Information Systems of South Africa Committee

7. Country has master facility list

Not available

In-country contact

There is a list of health facilities within the DHIS. However, the unique facility identifiers have not yet been implemented.

8. Conducted HMN assessment

Completed (2009)

http://bit.ly/2vGLZ3a

Link

9. Population census within the last 10 years

Yes (2011)

http://bit.ly/2bkncZ9

Link

10. Availability of national health surveys 

DHS (2016) LSMS (1993)

http://bit.ly/2eZjp2h

http://bit.ly/2biVhp2

Data and reports can be found on the links provided
(DHS and World Bank).

11. Completeness of vital registration (births and deaths)

Incomplete – live births and deaths less than 90%

http://bit.ly/2aP7FN4

Both data were collected in 2014

Link

12. Country has electronic system for aggregating routine facility and/or community service data

Yes, sub-nationally

 

DHIS 2 adoption by programs or partial national roll-out

13. Country has national statistics office

Yes

http://www.statssa.gov.za

 

14. National health statistics report (annual)

Current (2017–2018)

hhttp://bit.ly/2UYLcT1

Annual Report 2017/18

15. Country has website for health statistics with latest data available

Yes, updated and has recent health reports

http://www.health.gov.za

 

16. DQA conducted on prioritized indicators aligned with most recent health sector strategy

Available but not online

In-country contact

DQAs are conducted annually in June/July by the Auditor General of South Africa.

17. PRISM assessment conducted in any regions/districts

Yes (2006)

OBAT only (2013)

http://bit.ly/2eJlTSp

See page 13, Table 1 at link.

18. Percentage of facilities represented in HMIS information

100% for all public facilities

In-country contact

All facilities report into the DHIS.

19. Proportion (facility, district, national) offices using data for setting targets and monitoring

Unknown

In-country contact

No assessment done to be able to report this

20. Measles coverage reported to WHO/UNICEF

WHO/UNICEF estimate= 70%; Official government estimate= 81%

http://bit.ly/2f07PEd

See page 10 of WHO and UNICEF estimates of immunization coverage: 2018 revision

21. Number of institutional deliveries available by district, and published within 12 months of preceding year

Not current

876,752 live births in a facility

Mostly occurred in public health facilities (2016–2017)

 http://bit.ly/2LE21hf

Institutional deliveries only available by districts for births that occur among women younger than 18 years of age (link).

District Health Barometer (DHB) 2016/2017

22. Existence of policies, laws, and regulations mandating public and private health facilities/ providers to report indicators determined by the national HIS

Available (partially)

In-country contact

National Health Act 61 of 2003 as amended provides for health information.

District Health Management Information System (DHMIS) policy (2011) relevant to public and private sector.

Policy operationalized in standard operating procedures (SOPs) for 5 reporting levels (facility, sub-district, district, province and national).

But only public providers predominantly report on indicators. Negotiations ongoing with private facilities.

23. Availability of standards/guidelines for RHIS data collection, reporting, and analysis

Available

In-country contact

DHMIS policy and SOPs provide guidelines for data collection, reporting and analysis. National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) provide standards and guidelines in detail.

24. Presence of procedures to verify the quality of data (accuracy, completeness, timeliness) reported

Available

In-country contact

Checklists are available in the DHMIS SOPs which provide guidance on data quality checks, internal data quality audits, and feedback loops. Information systems contain data quality checks. Quarterly data alignment workshops conducted per district, province and national level.

25. RHIS data collection forms allow for disaggregation by gender

Yes

In-country contact

 

26. At least one national health account completed in last 5 years

Unknown

In-country contact

Annual financial audits are conducted by Auditor General of South Africa

National health account has not been completed, but expenditures are reported as part of the Department of Health (and provincial) Annual Report.

27. National database with health workers by district and main cadres updated within last 2 years

Available, but not online

In-country contact

Workload Indicator for  Staffing Needs (WISN) Human Resources for Health report available, but not available in public domain

28. Annual data on availability of tracer medicines and commodities in public and private health facilities

Available

In-country contact

http://bit.ly/2lqRfzE

Availability of tracer medicines is tracked monthly as part of NIDS (not available online)

2015 Stock Outs National Survey, a report on essential medicines available for children

29. e-health strategy

Available (2012–2017)

http://bit.ly/2wCvGmG

In-country contact

eHealth Strategy South Africa 2012/13 – 2016/17

The strategy was reviewed in 2017 and the process to compile and finalize an updated strategy is ongoing.

In 2017, a ministerial commission was appointed to drive the process of review and compilation.

30. Completeness of disease surveillance reporting

Available, but percentage unknown

In-country contact

National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) releases newsletters, bulletins, quarterly and annual reports (2016/17)

 

Filed under: HIS , South Africa , Health Information Systems